Belgian-French drama “Matriochkas,” the documentary “The Heart Still Hums” and the animated film “The Fabric of You” have won the top prizes at the Palm Springs International ShortFest.
The festival unveiled the juried award winners Sunday from the 332 short films that were part of the official selection. Some of the winners are now qualified to enter the shorts categories for the Oscars.
The Best of the Festival Award, including a $5,000 prize from the Greater Palm Springs Convention & Visitors Bureau, went to “Matriochkas,” directed by Bérangère McNeese. The film centers on a 16-year-old who lives with her young mother and begins to discover her own sexuality. As she learns she is pregnant, her mother sees herself in her daughter, at the same age, facing the same choices.
“Writer/Director Bérangère McNeese brings a complex and bold point of view to the page and screen, drawing unexpected turns from the script and nuanced performances from her cast, including a remarkable debut from lead actress Héloïse Volle,” the jury said.
“The Heart Still Hums,” directed by Savanah Leaf and Taylor Russell, follows five women as they fight for their children through the cycle of homelessness, drug addiction and neglect from their own parents. The film won the Best Documentary Short award for “its expansive yet still intimate examination of mothers in crisis and the Sacramento collectives who work with them to enable agency and hope.”
“The Fabric of You,” directed by Josephine Lohoar Self, centers on a gay twenty-something-year-old mouse, who hides his true identity while he works as a tailor. “Weaving together strong thematic elements with keen attention to simple detail and a tangible, textural aesthetic, stop-motion animator Josephine Lohoar Self masterfully breathes life into this fully-realized story of love and loss that is both visually impactful and emotionally resonant,” the jury said.
Inbar Horesh won the prize for best live-action short over 15 minutes for “Birth Right.” Laurynas Bareisa won the prize for best live-action short under 15 minutes for “Dummy.”
The entire awards list follows:
Greater Palm Springs CVB Best of the Festival Award – Matriochkas (Belgium/France), Directed by Bérangère Mc Neese
Special Mention (for Creative Vision): Stay Awake, Be Ready (Vietnam/South Korea/USA), Directed by Pham Thien An
Special Mention (for Direction): Mizaru (India/USA), Directed by Sudarshan Suresh
Best Animated Short – Winner received a $1,000 cash prize. The Fabric of You (UK), Directed by Josephine Lohoar Self
Special Mention: SH_T Happens (Czech Republic/Slovakia/France), Directed by Mihalyi and David Stumpf
Best Documentary Short: The Heart Still Hums (USA), Directed by Savanah Leaf and Taylor Russell
Special Mentions: Dead Woman’s Pass (Peru/Qatar), Directed by Lali Houghton, Huntsville Station (USA), Directed by Jamie Meltzer and Chris Filippone
Best Live-Action Short Over 15 Minutes: Birth Right (Israel), Directed by Inbar Horesh
Special Mention: Henet Ward (Egypt), Directed by Morad Mostafa
Best Live-Action Short 15 Minutes and Under: Dummy (Lithuania), Directed by Laurynas Bareisa
Special Mention: The Midsummer’s Voice (China/USA), Directed by Yudi Zhang
Student Short Awards:
Best Student Animated Short: Daughter (Czech Republic), Directed by Daria Kashcheeva
Special Mention: SH_T Happens (Czech Republic/Slovakia/France), Directed by Michaela Mihalyi and David Stumpf
Best Student Documentary Short: For Your Sake (Germany), Directed by Ronja Hemm
Special Mention: All Cats Are Grey in the Dark (Switzerland), Directed by Lasse Linder
Best Student International Short: Still Working (Switzerland), Directed by Julietta Korbel
Special Mention: 22:47 Linie 34 (Switzerland), Directed by Michael Karrer
Best Student U.S. Short: Heading South (China/USA), Directed by Yuan Yuan
Special Mention: Tape (USA/Canada/Finland), Directed by Jojo Erholtz
Special Jury Awards:
Best International Short: The Tongues (Norway), Directed by Marja Bål Nango and Ingir Bål
Special Mention: Funfair (Iran/Canada), Directed by Kaveh Mazaheri
Best U.S. Short: My Hero (USA), Directed by Logan Jackson
Special Mention (for Stylistic Vision and Emerging Talent): Pharmacopeia (USA), Directed by Tania Taiwo
GoE Bridging the Borders Award: The Present (Palestine), Directed by Farah Nabulsi
Special Mention: Container (Greece/USA), Directed by Daphne Maziariaki
Local Jury Award: Welcome Strangers (USA), Directed by Dia Sokol Savage
Special Mention: Sundays at the Triple Nickel (USA), Directed by Jess Colquhoun
Vimeo Staff Pick Award: Give Up the Ghost (Jordan/Germany/Sweden), Directed by Zain Duraie
Young Cineastes Award: Colette (USA/France/Germany), Directed by Anthony Giacchino
Special Mention: Gold Plated (Belgium), Directed by Chloé Léonil
Best Comedy Short: Viktor on the Moon (Denmark), Directed by Christian Arhoff
Special Mention (for Direction): Blocks (USA), Directed by Bridget Moloney
Best LGBTQ+ Short: Kama’aina (USA), Directed by Kimi Howl Lee
Special Mention: La Gloria (USA), Directed by Mary Evangelista
Best Midnight Short: The Sleepwalkers (India), Directed by Radhika Apte
Special Mention (for Best Climax): The Nights Alone (France), Directed by Olivier Strauss
Special Mention (for Creative Vision): Stay Awake, Be Ready (Vietnam/South Korea/USA), Directed by Pham Thien An
Special Mention (for Direction): Mizaru (India/USA), Directed by Sudarshan Suresh
